Southgate Street School
| Southgate Street School | |
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Southgate Street School is a former black school in Newport, Kentucky. The building today serves as a local history museum.
After the American Civil War the Freeman's Bureau was tasked with educating the newly freed black children. The Freeman's Bureau reported in 1868 there were 15 pupils enrolled in the school.[1] After 1869 the Bureau could no longer perform due to budget cuts. Then in 1870 the City of Newport, Kentucky took over the running of Campbell County's only black school. By 1873, they established a school on Southgate Street.[2] Elizabeth Hudson was hired as the first teacher at $35.00 per month. In 1893, the current two-level building was constructed on Southgate Street. The school remained in operation until 1955, when the Brown v. Board of Education decision closed the segregated schools.[2]
After the school's closure, the building was bought by local gangster Frank "Screw" Andrews.[3] The building was used as a warehouse. The school building is presently owned by a Black Masonic Lodge (Prince Hall Masonic Lodge 120). In 1985, The Southgate Street School was listed as a contributing property to the Mansion Hill Historic District.[4] As of 2017 the first floor is used by the City of Newport and the Newport Foundation as the Newport History Museum. Museum displays remind visitors of school life in the early twentieth century. Other exhibits document Newport's history including displays about its gambling history. This project was initiated by Scott Clark, Newport's Historic Preservation officer and students from Northern Kentucky University's Master of Public History Program.[5]
In 2022, Northern Kentucky University computer science professor Nicholas Caporusso led a student project that resulted in the publication of The Legacy of Southgate Street School – Preserving a Landmark of the Black History of Newport, Kentucky. As part of the project, students used artificial intelligence to generate images depicting historical moments at the school, based on photographs provided by the museum.[6]
In December 2022, Dr. Caporusso developed and facilitated a public exhibit at the Campbell County Public Library in partnership with NKU’s Scripps Center for Civic Engagement, the university’s Department of History, and the City of Newport. The exhibit featured 25 AI-generated images and included a public event in which Dr. Caporusso discussed the use of artificial intelligence for community engagement. The event also featured Robert Ingulls, a former student of the school, who spoke about his experiences there. Attendees included NKU faculty, staff, and students; local residents; family members and friends of former students; and the mother of Daylin Garland, the museum’s preservation officer, who is an alumna of both the school and NKU. The exhibit remained open to the public for two months.
References
- ^ "Teacher's monthly school report". FamilySearch. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Crawford-Lackey, Katie. "Southgate Street School". Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- ^ "Former student preserves his NKY African-American school". Cincinnati Enquirer. November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Nomination Form - NRHP". Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- ^ "Newport Museum Opens at Historic Southgate Street School". River City News. November 8, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
6. NKU students Al Artwork featured in exhibit at Campbell Public Library on Legacy of Southgate School. NKY Tribune. November 11, 202339°05′41.1″N 84°29′36.0″W / 39.094750°N 84.493333°W